Indiana court rules township's bus fees unconstitutional

Franklin Township Schools violated the state constitution when it discontinued bus service and arranged for an outside company to shuttle students for a fee, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

It’s a partial win for township parents who fought the fee and had to find their own ways to transport their children to school. The ruling, if it stands, also would prevent other school corporations from trying the same approach to solve a budget problem.

Crunched by tax caps and millions in debt, the Franklin Township Community School Corporation ended its bus service in the 2011-12 school year.